Pattern lever control



Feb. 4, 1969 F. c. WIESINGER 3,425,242

PATTERN LEVER CONTROL Filed May 8, 1967 I N V E N FREDERICK CWIE ER ATTORNEY U t d S ates Pati 3,425,242 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE v A knitting machine control cam for activating patterning levers of a knitting machine which utilize spring biased, detents adapted to function in cooperation with a perforated tape advanced by a grooved drum, and

said cam including a second camming portion for centralizing said detents of the selected levers within their respective perforations to prevent contact with and wear upon the edges of the latter at the termination of each lever selection.

Background ofthe invention The invention relates to an improvement in the pattern mechanism for independent needle knitting machines of the type which utilize perforated endless p'attern tapes that are continuously advanced by means of drums individual thereto having spiral grooves that are in alignment with the perforations in said tapes. 7 1

As is well known to those conversant with the knitting art, this form of patterning includes a plurality of'selecting levers having spring biased detents which are adapted to fllIlCliOIl in cooperation with each perforated tape and its respective drum. As a drum advances its tape, the detents of levers to be selected align with said tapes perforations causing said detents to pass therethrough and into the grooves of the drum. Continued rotation of the drum moves the selected levers inwardly toward the needle cylinder to a position where they are pivoted downwardly by a rotating cam causing a'raisin'g lever to pivot and elevate a jack individual thereto to an active level. I

When the inner end of a selecting lever is pivoted downwardly by the rotating cam, the outer end is pivoted upwardly drawing its detent out of the drum and tape perforation. At this point, when contact is lost between the rotating cam and the inner end of the selecting lever, a coil spring moves said lever outwardly to its initial or non-selected position.

With drums having helical grooves and which move continuously to advance their tapes, the detents of the selected levers are caused to bear against that edge of the groove which moves the levers to a selected position and as they are drawn from the grooves in the manner described, said detents are caused to be drawn across the edges of the perforations in the tape. This contact between the detents and the edges of the perforations in the tapes creates premature wear as well as tearing which necessitates said tapes replacement far sooner than the desired life expectancy thereof.

The control cam or so-called rotating cam according to the instant invention serves a dual purpose and as well as pushing a selected lever downwardly as described, it is adapted to centralize said levers detent within the groove and tape perforation so that no contact is made with the latter as it is drawn from said groove and perforation.

The control cam of the present invention is applicable to circular knitting machines well known to those conversant with this art and examples of such machines according to the prior art and over which said present invention is an improvement are evident in United States Patents 2,786,343, 3,024,631 and 3,141,314.

.Surnmary'of the invention 3 The control cam comprising the invention is fixed to the lower end of a stud that depends from a plate or t-' a radial or horizontal direction so as to centralize .its dedisc-like element which encircles the needle cylinder and which is adapted to rotate with the cam members that control the action of the knitting instrumentalities. In a conventional manner this cam engages a slot on the inner end of a selected selecting lever and pushes it downwardly to perform its intended function. I 1 Whilethe cam is moving within the slot a portion of the side of said cam engages the innermost side of the slot and moves-the selecting lever a sufficient distance in tent within the groove in the drum and the perforation in the tape. 7

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a section taken through a portion of a circular knitting machine to which the invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the control cam according to the invention;

' FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cam shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the cam taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the cam showing the manner in which it engages the slot of a selecting lever.

Description of the preferred embodiment Now referring to the figures of drawing enough of a circular knitting machine is shown in FIG. 1 to serve as a' basis for a detailed description of the invention applied thereto.

, The invention is applicable to practically any independent needle knitting machine in which extensive pattern work is to be done and is here shown in a double cylinder machine (lower cylinder only shown).

The lower cylinder 10 is slotted to act as a needle bed for the conventional double hooked needles 11 which are directly controlled at their lower ends by sliders 12 having butts 13.

The knitting machine shown in FIG. 1 is of the rotatable cam, fixed needle cylinder type, and the cylinder i10 is fixed to a base member 14 which in turn is part of a more complete supporting frame.

A plate or disc element 15 is supported for rotation in a fixed bearing ring 16 which is positioned in spaced relation to the base member 14 by means of vertically disposed shafts 17 positioned at various points about the machine (one only shown in FIG. 1).

The disc element, 15 provides the means for supporting the usual cam sections 18 and 19 the latter of which control the selected jacks 20 by means of their butts 21.

A selecting mechanism of the Jacquard type which is generally similar to those disclosed in the aforementioned patents is identified generally in FIG. 1 by numeral 22. This mechanism includes a drum 23 which is continuously rotated about its axis 24 and has helical slots 25 disposed in spaced relation along its length which register beneatl: rows of pattern perforations in an endless pattern strip or tape 26. g

It should be understood that several of these selecting mechanisms may be disposed about the machine and since they all perform a like function only one has been shown.

A plurality of selecting levers 27 are pivoted at 28 and are adapted to slide radially of the machine for a short distance. Each of these carries adjacent its outer end a spring biased detent 29 the lower end of which becomes aligned with the perforations in the tape 26 as the latter is advanced by the drum 23.

The inner end of the selecting lever is provided with a recess 30 for reception of the control cam according to the invention which is identified generally in the various figures of drawing by numeral 31.

This cam is fixedly attached to a bracket 32 and the latter is fixed to the lower end of a stud 33 which depends from the disc element 15.

Cam 31 moves about the needle cylinder with the disc element \15 and cam sections 18 and 19 carried by the latter.

When a lever 27 is selected it is caused to move inwardly a distance sufficient to place the recess 30 in the path of the cam 31. are adapted to slide radially of the machine for a short As shown in FIG. 2 cam 31 has a lower forward camming surface 34 which when making contact with the recess 30 pushes the inner end of the lever 27 downwardly. This motion causes the underside of lever 27 to rock a raising lever 35 on its support pin 36 a sufficient distance to cause the inner end of said raising lever to elevate the jack 20 individual thereto to an active level.

In continuation of camming surface 34 the lower central portion of cam 31 is of substantially greater thickness forming a camming surface 37 (FIG. 3) on the side thereof.

As cam 31 moves through the recess 30 its cammin'g surface comes into contact with the innermost edge of said recess and is effective in moving the lever 27 a short distance in a radial direction which is sufficient to centralize the detent 29 in the perforation of the tape 26 and groove 25 of the drum 23.

Continued movement of the cam 31 causes the inner tip of the lever 27 to pass through an angularly disposed channel 38 (FIGS. 3 and in said cam and is effective in urging said lever toward its non-selected position. When the cam loses contact with a lever it is immediately pulled to its inactive position by means of a coil spring 39 which is suitably attached to the outer end thereof.

In operation, the drum 23 is rotating continuously to advance the tape 26 and by means of any desired pattern formed as perforations in said tape, the detents of the levers which come into alignment with the perforations pass therethrough and into a groove in the drum. As the drum continues to rotate it moves the selected lever in- 4 wardly to a position where cam 31 is caused to move through the recess 30 thereof. While pushing the inner end of lever 27 downwardly the camming surface 37 of cam 31 is effective in moving said lever a short distance in a radial direction which centralizles the detent 29 within the perforation in the tape and groove during the performance of its intended function. The centralized detent is then moved upwardly by the pivotal-movement of the lever without contacting the edge of the perforation and is returned to its inactive position in the regular manner.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variation and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a stationary needle bed, needles slidable in said bed with jacks individual to said needles, selecting means for selectively elevating said jacks from a non-selected to an active level which includes a continuously movable perforated pattern tape and pattern controlled selector levers with spring biased detents engageable with the perforations in said tape, the improvement which comprises (a) a rotating cam effective upon selected ones of said selector levers to cause the jacks individual thereto to be raised to an active level and (b) said rotating cam including a portion for centralizing the detents of the selected selector levers in their respective perforations of said tape to prevent contact with the latter at the termination of each lever selection.

2. The rotating cam as defined in claim 1 wherein said portion comprises a camming surface on the side of said cam effective upon each of said selected levers to move the latter radially relative to said needle bed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,877,220 9/1932 Bromley 66-50 2,883,841 4/1959 Miller 66-156 WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

